American Experience

Online Poll
Under what circumstances would or wouldn't you wear a zoot suit?

Zoot Suit Culture
Find out all about ankle chokers, sharkskin suits, beehive hair, the semi-drape, the Million Dollar Theater, penny arcades, and the pachuco hop.

The Press and the Riot
How did the Los Angeles press report the riots? Read excerpts from two newspapers of the time.

1940's Los Angeles
Follow the 1943 riots as they spread from neighborhood to neighborhood through Los Angeles.